Effect of Phoenix dactyliferia [date palm] pit powder on nicotine induced spermatotoxicity in adult albino mice

ABSTRACT

To study the effect of Phoenix Dactyliferia pit powder on nicotine-induced spermatotoxicty in adult albino mice. The study was conducted at the University of Health Sciences, Lahore, from February to November 2012, and comprised adult male albino mice aged 6-8 weeks. The animals were divided into five equal groups. Group A consisted of controls who were treated with 1.5ml/kg of normal saline for 15 days, while nicotine 0.5mg/kg was administered intraperitoneally daily to experimental groups B, C and D for the first 15 days. Group B was sacrificed on the 15[th] day to confirm toxicity, whereas nicotine treatment was stopped in groups C and D. Group C was given normal saline [1.5ml/kg] whereas group D was given date palm pit powder 500mg/kg for the next 30 days. However, Group E was given nicotine 0.5mg/kg for 45 days and date palm pit powder was added orally from the 16[th] day and it continued daily till the end of the experiment. SPSS 18 was used for statistical analysis. The mean weight of each of the 40 animals in the study was 30 +/- 5gm, and all the five groups had 8[20%] mice each. Group B exhibited features of toxicity evident by statistically significant decrease in Johnsen score [p<0.001] and diameter of seminiferous tubule [p<0.001]. Group C showed partial reversal of toxic effects but these positive effects were less compared to group D which showed complete reversal of toxicity evident by statistically significant increase in Johnsen score [p<0.001] and diameter of seminiferous tubule [p<0.001]. However, reversal of toxic effect was not evident in group E. Partial recovery from nicotine-induced spermatotoxicity occurred after withdrawal of nicotine treatment whereas near normal restoration of structure was seen with administration of date palm pit powder after the stoppage of nicotine